The Prosperous Leader by Jacob M. Engel

Author:Jacob M. Engel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2015-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

USE SMART GOALS IN WISE PLANNING

Specific

Measurable

Attainable Ambitious

Relevant

Timed

The purpose of goals is not to help us achieve mediocre results, but to help us achieve extraordinary results. The term strategic planning has become very popular in recent years. One of my favorite curiosity exercises is to look back through history to learn where certain terms and concepts came from. Before the 1960s and Peter Drucker, the term “strategy” was used as a solely military term. Put another way, half-a-century ago, no one had ever used the word “strategy” and “business” together. When Drucker approached publishers in the 1960s with the term “management strategy,” he was rebuffed. His publisher explained that no one would understand the use of a military term like “strategy” in a business context. The corporate world did not accept the term “strategic management,” (and in turn, strategic planning), until more than a decade later.

Today, of course the world has progressed quite a distance from where it was then. Many businesses and organizations now talk about doing strategic planning, as it provides a basis for monitoring progress and for assessing results and impact. It facilitates development and enables an organization or business to look into the future in an orderly and systematic way.

In strategic planning, a leader develops a vision for the organization’s future, focusing on long-term goals rather than short-term objectives. He or she then determines the necessary priorities and procedures to achieve that vision, breaking it down into measurable, realistic units.

Strategic planning is an ongoing process of self-examination, confrontation of difficult choices, and establishment of priorities. It involves charting a course that you believe is wise, and adjusting that course as you gain more information and experience.

Strategic planning is defined as the process of addressing the following questions:

•Where are we?

•What do we have to work with?

•Where do we want to be?

•How do we get there?

The first step is to address the questions “Where are we?” and “What do we have to work with?” Your answer to the first question defines your current company and gives you your starting point. Answering the second question involves a consideration of strengths and weaknesses and a determination of how to capitalize on strengths.

The next step in the process is answering, “Where do we want to be?” As the articulated vision stems from the values of those involved in the process, it is essential that this step involve everyone who will have a stake in achieving the vision. The vision is then translated into a mission statement: a broad, comprehensive statement of the purpose of the company or business. (You will recall the steps for crafting a mission statement from the previous chapter.)

Once you determine your goals, you need to decide how to reach them. This step involves articulating strategies that recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the business and how to use them to achieve a goal.

Many organizations are familiar with the SMART acrynom for goal setting: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. These are great tools in helping us accomplish our goals.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.